Multiple purpose container and decorative item

ABSTRACT

A multiple purpose container and decorative item includes a container portion and a cap portion affixed to the container portion. The container portion is configurable in color, shape and size, and includes an interior cavity configured to contain a predetermined volume of a product of interest disposed therein. The cap portion is configured to seal and unseal the interior cavity and to provide storage of and repeatable access to the product of interest disposed therein. A selectively deployable fastener is coupled to the cap portion by a coupling means and deployable between a stored position and a deployed position. The container portion is configured of a desired color, shape, size and/or combinations thereof to achieve multiple functions to contain the product of interest within the interior cavity and to provide an aesthetic, decorative and/or ornamental feature.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S.application Ser. No. 14/062,371 filed Oct. 24, 2013, which isincorporated herein by reference in its entirety ; and which in turnclaims priority benefit under 35 U.S.C. §119(e) of then-copending,commonly owned U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 61/755,175,filed on Jan. 22, 2013 (Attorney Docket No. 1508-0008), 61/777,592,filed on Mar. 12, 2013 (Attorney Docket No. 1508-0009), 61/838,690,filed on Jun. 24, 2013 (Attorney Docket No. 1508-0011), and 61/844,678,filed on Jul. 10, 2013 (Attorney Docket No. 1508-0013). The disclosuresof these US patent documents are also incorporated by reference hereinin their entireties.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material,which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has noobjection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent documentor the patent disclosure, as it appears in the United States Patent andTrademark Office files or records, but otherwise reserves all copyrightrights whatsoever.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a multiple purpose container havinga resealable cap such that the container may be displayed as adecorative item on a table, shelf or the like surface. The containerincludes an interior cavity accessible when the cap is removed. In oneembodiment, the cavity is configured to accommodate a product or articleof interest therein. In one embodiment, the cap includes a selectivelydeployable fastener such that the container may be displayed as adecorative item hung from a surface such as a limb of a tree or plant asan ornament.

2. Description of the Related Art

Concerns grow daily over the storage and treatment of waste productssuch as, for example, plastic and glass bottles and other containers. Socalled “green” solutions for handling waste products include recycling,cleaning and reuse, or adapting the waste product to a new use to avoidits disposal within landfills and the like.

The inventor has recognized that a green solution for certain containersmay include making the containers useful for multiple purposes such as,for example, being used as a container for an article or product ofinterest as well as used as a display or decorative item.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention resides in one aspect in a multiple purposecontainer and decorative item, comprising: a container portionselectively configurable in color, shape and size, and having aninterior cavity selectively configured to contain a predetermined volumeof a product of interest disposed within the interior cavity, theproduct of interest includes at least one of a flowable liquid, a cream,a powder, a granule, and a crystal; a cap portion selectively affixed tothe container portion, the cap portion configured to seal and unseal theinterior cavity and to provide storage of and repeatable access to theproduct of interest disposed therein; and a selectively deployablefastener coupled to the cap portion by a coupling means and deployablebetween a stored position and a deployed position; wherein the containerportion is configured of a desired color, shape, size and/orcombinations thereof to achieve multiple functions to contain theproduct of interest within the interior cavity and to provide anaesthetic, decorative and/or ornamental feature.

In one aspect of the invention, the container portion and the capportion are selectively fabricated from one of high-densitypolyethylene, polyethylene high-density, and Polypropylene; and thedeployable fastener and the coupling means are selectively fabricatedfrom one of high-density polyethylene, polyethylene high-density,Polypropylene, a metal and a metal alloy.

The present invention resides in another aspect in a set of multiplepurpose container and decorative items, comprising: a plurality ofcontainer portions, each of the plurality of container portionsselectively configurable in color, shape and size, and having aninterior cavity selectively configured to contain a predetermined volumeof a product of interest disposed within the interior cavity, theproduct of interest includes at least one of a flowable liquid, a cream,a powder, a granule, and a crystal; a plurality of container portions,each of the plurality of container portions selectively affixed to arespective one of the plurality of container portions, each of theplurality of container portions configured to seal and unseal theinterior cavity and to provide storage of and repeatable access to theproduct of interest disposed therein; and a plurality of selectivelydeployable fasteners, each of the plurality of selectively deployablefasteners coupled to a respective one of the plurality of cap portionsby a respective coupling means and deployable between a stored positionand a deployed position; the plurality of container portions selectivelyfabricated from one of high-density polyethylene, polyethylenehigh-density, and Polypropylene; the plurality of cap portionsselectively fabricated from one of high-density polyethylene,polyethylene high-density, and Polypropylene; the plurality ofselectively deployable fasteners selectively fabricated from one ofhigh-density polyethylene, polyethylene high-density, Polypropylene, ametal and a metal alloy; and each the coupling means selectivelyfabricated from one of high-density polyethylene, polyethylenehigh-density, Polypropylene, a metal and a metal alloy; wherein theplurality of container portions is configured of a desired color, shape,size and/or combinations thereof to achieve multiple functions tocontain the product of interest within the interior cavity and toprovide an aesthetic, decorative and/or ornamental feature.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The features and advantages of the present invention will be betterunderstood when the Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments givenbelow is considered in conjunction with the figures provided, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a partial cross sectional view of a multiple purpose containerand decorative item according to one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 2A to 2E illustrate exemplary embodiments of the multiple purposecontainer and decorative item according to the present invention;

FIGS. 3A to 3F illustrate exemplary embodiments of a cap portion of themultiple purpose container and decorative item according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a partial cross sectional view of the multiple purposecontainer and decorative item according to one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 5A to 5D illustrate exemplary embodiments of the multiple purposecontainer and decorative item according to the present invention; and

FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a pair of the multiplepurpose container and decorative item according to the presentinvention.

In these figures like structures are assigned like reference numerals,but may not be referenced in the description of all figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

While this invention may be embodied in many forms, there is shown inthe drawings and will herein be described in detail one or morepreferred embodiments. It should be appreciated that this disclosure isto be considered an exemplification of principles of the invention andis not intended to limit the invention to the illustrated embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows one embodiment of a multiple purpose container anddecorative item 10. The multiple purpose container and decorative item10 includes a container portion 20 and a cap portion 40. In oneembodiment, as shown in FIG. 1, the multiple purpose container anddecorative item 10 is configured as a decorative bell that is usable andreusable to contain a product or article of interest and to act as anornament, as described herein. The container portion 20 may beconfigured of any desired color, shape, size and/or combinationsthereof, to achieve multiple functions such as, for example, to containwithin an interior cavity 22 a predetermined volume of a flowableliquid, cream, powder or other product or article of interest 24therein, as well as to achieve an aesthetic, decorative and/orornamental function such as to act as a holiday ornament or an ornamentand/or decoration for another event or occasion.

In one exemplary embodiment, the product of interest 24 may be arelatively high quality flowable liquid, powder, granule, crystal, orcream including by way of example and not limitation, a perfume,cologne, cosmetic preparation or the like, or a food stuff including byway of example and not limitation, a maple, pancake and/or other syrup,honey, salt and/or pepper, herb and/or seasoning, or the like, orcombination thereof. In one embodiment, the flowable liquid, powder orcream may be a relatively inexpensive household item such as, forexample, liquid soap, shampoo, baby powder, hand cream or the like. Itshould be appreciated that in one embodiment, the multiple purposecontainer and decorative item 10, including the container portion 20 andthe cap portion 40, may be distributed without a product or article ofinterest disposed in the interior cavity 22. As such, the containerportion 20 would be useful as a general purpose storage container thatis fillable and refillable by a user thereof. As shown in FIGS. 2A to2E, exemplary embodiments of the container portion 20 may be configuredas a fireplace 20A (FIG. 2A), a globe 20B (FIG. 2B), a candy cane 20C(FIG. 2C), a die 20D (FIG. 2D), a ball 20E (FIG. 2E) such as a football,baseball, basketball, soccer ball, golf ball or the like. In oneembodiment, the container portion 20 may be comprised of, for example,plastic or other polymer, glass, paper, and the like.

In one embodiment, the container portion 20 may be comprised of one ormore colored, treated and/or textured surfaces to achieve a preferredaesthetic, decorative and/or ornamental appearance. In one embodiment,an exterior surface 21 of the container portion 20 may includedecorative indicia 23 painted or otherwise applied to the exteriorsurface 21 to achieve a decorative or festive effect. In one embodiment,decorative indicia 23 comprises a surface upon which a consumer maywrite, using a standard writing instrument, a desired message, note,and/or image, or the like. In one embodiment, the surface 21 may bewrapped in a film or the like, to achieve the decorative or festiveeffect. It should be appreciated that in addition to the above, thecontainer portion 20 may be configured in other desired color (e.g.,red, green, blue, silver), treatment (e.g., gloss or polish), texture,shape, size and/or combinations thereof such as, for example, an item ofscenery such as a fireplace, holiday scene (e.g., snowman, holidaycarolers), as well as a figurine depicting a fictional or real person, acharacter, an animal (e.g., a domesticated animal or pet like a dog,cat, bunny, or the like, or a wild animal like a lion, a monkey, anelephant or the like), a tree, plant, a waterfall, or the like, or astructure of interest such as a cabin, a house, bridge, or otherarchitectural components or features such as a statue, fountain, ormonument.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 2A to 2E and 3A to 3F, the cap portion 40 isselectively affixed to the container portion 20 to open and close theinterior cavity 22 of the container portion 20 as may be desired toprovide access to the interior cavity 22 and the volume of the flowableliquid, cream, powder, granule, crystal, or other product of interest 24stored within the container portion 20. In one embodiment, the capportion 40 includes internal female threads to receive mating malethreads disposed on an exterior of the container portion 20 (e.g., FIG.5A, described below) such that the cap portion 40 is removable to sealand unseal the interior cavity 22 of the container portion 20. It shouldbe appreciated that it is also within the scope of the present inventionto selectively open and close the interior cavity 22 with the capportion 40 by means of a conventional “snap closing” or “flip top”arrangement such as, for example, a plug or plugs configured to open andclose one or more openings in the container portion 20. As shown inFIGS. 3A to 3F, the cap portion 40 includes a selectively deployablefastener 42. In one embodiment the selectively deployable fastener 42includes a ring 42A (as best illustrated in FIGS. 3B and 3D), a hook 42B(FIG. 3E), or arm member 42C (FIG. 3F). The selectively deployablefastener 42 is rotatably coupled to the cap portion 40 by coupling means46, for example, a hinge or a shaft, rod or protrusion inserted in anopening and rotatable about an axis between a closed or stored position(FIG. 3A) and an open or deployed position (FIGS. 3D, 3E, 3F). In oneembodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, when in the closed or storedposition, the selectively deployable fastener 42 may be disposed in arecess 44 in a surface of the cap portion 40.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, thedeployable fastener 42 and the coupling means 46 cooperate such that thefastener 42 freely rotates for selective storage and deployment. In oneembodiment, the fastener 42 is fixedly positioned in the deployedposition. It should also be appreciated that the deployable fastener 42and the coupling means 46 are constructed of relatively sufficientmaterial to permit not only repeated, free rotation between the closedand open positions but also allow the deployable fastener 42 andcoupling means 46 to accommodate a weight of the container portion 20and the cap portion 40. As such, the multiple purpose container anddecorative item 10 can be repeated hung from a limb of a tree or thelike when the container portion 20 is fully loaded with the volume ofthe product of interest 24, when the container portion 20 is fully emptyof the volume, and volumes between the fully loaded and fully emptyconditions.

In one embodiment, the multiple purpose container and decorative item10, including any portion thereof such as for example the containerportion 20 and the cap portion 40, is selectively fabricated from hightemperature, food safe plastic such as, for example, high-densitypolyethylene (“HDPE”), polyethylene high-density (“PEHD”), Polypropylene(“PP”) or the like capable of withstanding a minimum temperature ofabout one hundred eighty degrees Fahrenheit (180° F.). In such anembodiment, the product of interest 24, such as, for example, arelatively pure maple syrup, will exhibit a suitable shelf life. Asshould be appreciated, this relatively high temperature plastic allowsthe container portion 20 to be cleaned (e.g., washed) for reuse tocontain food product or similar uses such as “green” uses. In anotherembodiment, the deployable fastener 42 and the coupling means 46similarly are selectively fabricated from a material capable ofwithstanding a minimum temperature of about 180° F. such as, forexample, HDPE, PEHD, PP, a metal or metal alloy, or the like.

As can be appreciated, in a first mode of operation or use, thecontainer portion 20 and the cap portion 40 cooperate to provide storageand repeatable access to the flowable liquid, cream, powder or otherproduct of interest 24 stored within the interior cavity 22 of thecontainer portion 20. In this first mode of operation, the containerportion 20 and the cap portion 40 also cooperate to provide a functionof a decorative item that can be displayed on a surface such as, forexample, a table, desk, shelf or the like, or, by selectively deployingthe deployable fastener 42, hung from a surface such as, for example, abranch of a tree, plant or the like. As such, the container portion 20and the cap portion 40 cooperate to provide the described multiplepurpose container and decorative item 10. Similarly, in a second mode ofoperation or use, when the flowable liquid, cream, powder, granule,crystal, or other product of interest 24 is exhausted, rather thandiscarding the container portion 20 and the cap portion 40, theaesthetic, decorative and/or ornamental nature of the multiple purposecontainer and decorative item 10 is still functional, such that themultiple purpose container and decorative item 10 is still useful and isnot discarded. Since the multiple purpose container and decorative item10 remains useful, it does not become a waste product bound for alandfill.

In one embodiment, illustrated in FIG. 4, a portion 26A of a surface 26of the container portion 20 is selectively removable by, for example,being comprised of a base 28 having external threads 29 that arereceived by threads 25 within walls of the container portion 20. In thisembodiment, removal of the base 28 from the container portion 20provides access to the interior cavity 22 and the product of interest 24stored therein. In one embodiment, the product of interest 24 mayinclude candy such as, for example, candy kisses, jelly beans, and thelike, as well as small games, costume jewelry or other articles ofamusements for children, adults, pets and the like.

As shown in FIGS. 5A to 5D, exemplary embodiments of a container portion120 (similar to the container portion 20) configured as a decorativeball 120A (FIG. 5A), a bell 120B (FIG. 5B), a heart shape 120C includinga stand 150 (FIG. 5C), a pumpkin 120D (FIG. 5D), or a miniature tree. Inone embodiment, as with the container portion 20, the container portion120 may be comprised of, for example, one or more colored, treatedand/or textured surfaces to achieve a preferred aesthetic, decorativeand/or ornamental appearance. For example, it should be appreciated thatin addition to the above, the container portion 120 may be configured inother desired color (e.g., red, green, blue, silver), treatment (e.g.,gloss or polish), texture, shape, size and/or combinations thereof suchas, for example, an item of scenery such as a fireplace, holiday scene(e.g., snowman, holiday carolers), as well as a figurine depicting afictional or real person, a character, an animal (e.g., a domesticatedanimal or pet like a dog, cat, bunny, or the like, or a wild animal likea lion, a monkey, an elephant or the like), a tree, plant, a waterfall,or the like, or a structure of interest such as a cabin, a house,bridge, or other architectural components or features such as a statue,fountain, or monument.

In one embodiment and as shown in FIG. 6, a set 210A of multiple purposecontainer and decorative items 210 is provided wherein each respectivemultiple purpose container and decorative items 210 includes a containerportion 220 and a cap portion 240 as described above with reference tocontainer portion 20 and a cap portion 40. In one embodiment, thecontainer portion 20 may be comprised of, for example, plastic or otherpolymer, glass, paper, and the like. In one embodiment, the set 210A ofmultiple purpose container and decorative items 210 is configured tocontain and dispense fluid food additives or flavorings such as, forexample, flavored syrups or other fluid toppings. In one embodiment, theset 210A of multiple purpose container and decorative items 210 isconfigured to contain and dispense particulate food additives or spicessuch as, for example, salt and pepper. As illustrated in dashed linesFIG. 6, a plurality of apertures 225 in the container portion 220accommodate the dispensing of the particulate food additives from thecontainer portion 220. Moreover, alternative embodiments of the multiplepurpose container and decorative items 210 of the set 210A may includeany or all of the features described hereinabove with respect to themultiple purpose container and decorative items 10. For example, in oneembodiment, the multiple purpose container and decorative items 210 ofthe set 210A comprises the decorative indicia 23 (FIG. 1) that comprisesa surface upon which a consumer may write a desired message, note,and/or image, or the like. Such a personalized set 210A may be offeredfor use in cooperation with other items or offers such as, for example,accompanying a merchant's gift certificate (i.e., a gift card). Whiletwo multiple purpose container and decorative items 210 have been shownand described as a set of multiple purpose container and decorativeitems 210A, the present invention is not limited in this regard as morethan two multiple purpose container and decorative items 210 can becombined as a set of multiple purpose container and decorative items210A without departing from the broader aspects of the presentinvention.

One or more embodiments of the present invention have been described.Nevertheless, it will be understood that various modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Forexample, many construction techniques and materials may be utilized.Accordingly, other embodiments are within the scope of the followingclaims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A multiple purpose container and decorative item,comprising: a container portion selectively configurable in color, shapeand size, and having an interior cavity selectively configured tocontain a predetermined volume of a product of interest disposed withinthe interior cavity, the product of interest includes at least one of aflowable liquid, a cream, a powder, a granule, and a crystal; a capportion selectively affixed to the container portion, the cap portionconfigured to seal and unseal the interior cavity and to provide storageof and repeatable access to the product of interest disposed therein;and a selectively deployable fastener coupled to the cap portion by acoupling means and deployable between a stored position and a deployedposition; wherein the container portion is configured of a desiredcolor, shape, size and/or combinations thereof to achieve multiplefunctions to contain the product of interest within the interior cavityand to provide an aesthetic, decorative and/or ornamental feature. 2.The multiple purpose container and decorative item of claim 1, whereinthe product of interest is one of a liquid, a cream, a powder, agranule, or a crystal.
 3. The multiple purpose container and decorativeitem of claim 1, wherein the product of interest is one of a relativelyhigh quality perfume, cologne, and cosmetic preparation.
 4. The multiplepurpose container and decorative item of claim 1, wherein the product ofinterest is a food stuff such as a maple, pancake or other syrup, honey,salt, pepper, herb or seasoning, or combination thereof.
 5. The multiplepurpose container and decorative item of claim 1, wherein when thefastener is in the deployed position the container portion may be hungfrom a surface.
 6. The multiple purpose container and decorative item ofclaim 5, wherein the coupling means comprises a hinge rotatable about anaxis between the stored position and the deployed position.
 7. Themultiple purpose container and decorative item of claim 6, wherein whenin the stored position, the selectively deployable fastener is disposedin a recess in a surface of the cap portion.
 8. The multiple purposecontainer and decorative item of claim 5, wherein when in the deployedposition, the selectively deployable fastener allows the multiplepurpose container and decorative item to be hung from a branch of atree.
 9. The multiple purpose container and decorative item of claim 5,wherein the selectively deployable fastener includes at least one of aring, a hook and an arm member.
 10. The multiple purpose container anddecorative item of claim 1, wherein the container portion is comprisedof one or more colored, treated and/or textured surfaces to achieve theaesthetic, decorative and/or ornamental feature.
 11. The multiplepurpose container and decorative item of claim 10, wherein the containerportion is configured as one of an item of scenery such as a fireplace,holiday scene, a figurine depicting a fictional or real person, acharacter, an animal, a tree, plant, a waterfall, a structure ofinterest such as a cabin, a house, bridge, and a feature such as astatue, fountain or monument.
 12. The multiple purpose container anddecorative item of claim 1, wherein the container portion furtherincludes a base portion having a base plate selectively attachable tothe base portion to selectively seal and unseal the interior cavity. 13.The multiple purpose container and decorative item of claim 1, whereinthe container portion further includes an exterior surface anddecorative indicia is applied to the exterior surface to achieve theaesthetic, decorative and/or ornamental feature.
 14. The multiplepurpose container and decorative item of claim 13, further including afilm configured to be wrapped about the exterior surface, the decorativeindicia being applied to the film to achieve the aesthetic, decorativeand/or ornamental feature.
 15. The multiple purpose container anddecorative item of claim 1, the container portion selectively fabricatedfrom a material capable of withstanding a minimum temperature of about180° F.; the cap portion selectively fabricated from a material capableof withstanding a minimum temperature of about 180° F.; the deployablefastener selectively fabricated from a material capable of withstandinga minimum temperature of about 180° F.; and the coupling meansselectively fabricated from a material capable of withstanding a minimumtemperature of about 180° F.
 16. The multiple purpose container anddecorative item of claim 15, the container portion selectivelyfabricated from one of high-density polyethylene, polyethylenehigh-density, and Polypropylene; the cap portion selectively fabricatedfrom one of high-density polyethylene, polyethylene high-density, andPolypropylene; the deployable fastener selectively fabricated from oneof high-density polyethylene, polyethylene high-density, Polypropylene,a metal and a metal alloy; and the coupling means selectively fabricatedfrom one of high-density polyethylene, polyethylene high-density,Polypropylene, a metal and a metal alloy.
 17. A set of multiple purposecontainer and decorative items, comprising: a plurality of containerportions, each of the plurality of container portions selectivelyconfigurable in color, shape and size, and having an interior cavityselectively configured to contain a predetermined volume of a product ofinterest disposed within the interior cavity, the product of interestincludes at least one of a flowable liquid, a cream, a powder, agranule, and a crystal; a plurality of container portions, each of theplurality of container portions selectively affixed to a respective oneof the plurality of container portions, each of the plurality ofcontainer portions configured to seal and unseal the interior cavity andto provide storage of and repeatable access to the product of interestdisposed therein; and a plurality of selectively deployable fasteners,each of the plurality of selectively deployable fasteners coupled to arespective one of the plurality of cap portions by a respective couplingmeans and deployable between a stored position and a deployed position;the plurality of container portions selectively fabricated from one ofhigh-density polyethylene, polyethylene high-density, and Polypropylene;the plurality of cap portions selectively fabricated from one ofhigh-density polyethylene, polyethylene high-density, and Polypropylene;the plurality of selectively deployable fasteners selectively fabricatedfrom one of high-density polyethylene, polyethylene high-density,Polypropylene, a metal and a metal alloy; and each the coupling meansselectively fabricated from one of high-density polyethylene,polyethylene high-density, Polypropylene, a metal and a metal alloy;wherein the plurality of container portions is configured of a desiredcolor, shape, size and/or combinations thereof to achieve multiplefunctions to contain the product of interest within the interior cavityand to provide an aesthetic, decorative and/or ornamental feature.